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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. key — in music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chair — a leader
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. field — farmland
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. field — a subject
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — the tool
  22. field — for sport
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com